Bottle-stopper.



M. E. HAMILTON.

BOTTLE STOPPER.

APPLIVG'ATIONEILBD MAR. 2, 1914.

1 1 32,93 1 Patented Mar. 23, 1915.

' SWMMMWT MILO E. HAMILTON, 0F WORCESTER, lVIASS-ACHUSIEYlTS.l

BOTTLE-STOPIPEB.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented M5512 23, 1915.

Application filed March 2, 1914. Serial No. 821,873.

T0 all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MiLo E.VHAM1LT0N, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of lVorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Bottle-Stopper, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that type of bottle Stoppers provided with a fiat top serving as a handle and also serving for the purpose of dislodging a metal cap from the bottle and used for stopping bottles after these caps have been removed.

vThe principal objects of the invention are to provide a hollow stopper of this kind of a very light weight, and to arrange the parts in such a wav, that there will be no chance for the liquid in the bottle to get to the inside of the stopper or in any way becomel lodged in any depressions or cavities within the stopper.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a front elevationof a stopper constructed in accordance with this invention: Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. l.

Stoppers of this type are exceedingly simple articles of manufacture, nevertheless they have presented diliiculties in practice which many manufacturers have attempted to overcome, but which still interfere with the manufacture of the same in large quantities, the distribution through the mails, as well as with the efficiency and desirability of the article of manufacture when in use. The main difficulty is that in attempting to reduce the weight of the article, other disadvantages have been introduced, such as reducing the strength beyond practical limits, and fur nishing cavities into which the liquid can come, and thus permitting the liquid to sour and even contaminate the entire contents of the bottle. This invention is designed for the purpose of overcoming these diliiculties, and at the same time producing a light, strong, durable and thoroughly sanitary construction which can be shipped at a minimum expense and even sent through the mails at a very low cost.

The stopper is shown of an external form mainly like that which is well known on the market. It is provided with a main body 10 of conical form having a flat end 11 proterior of the body 10 is cored out in the cast ing process, and this core is arranged concentrlcally in the body of the mold so that the cavity 17 is concentric with the body 1() of the stopper. The perforations 18 through the walls of the stopper, which receive the core prints in the casting operation, are arranged in the plane of the handle 141 so thatV any strength which is lost by the presence of these openings is compensated for by the fact that the handle strengthens the body at the ends of these perforations. This is important because the article preferablyy is made of aluminum or a light aluminum alloy and considerable strength is required on account of its use for removing bottle caps.

A tube 2O of rubber or other soft and preferably elastic material, as for example cork, is placed on the body 10 of the stopper between the flanges 12 and 13. This tube is intended to fill the entire space be tween these two flanges and it will be seen that it effectively covers the holes 18 by which the cavity 17 communicates with the exterior, that is, the core print openings.

Openings for core prints are necessary in l producing a hollow article of this kind by casting, and by having these openings come entirely in the space between the two flanges 12 and 13 Aand stopping them olf at a distance from each of the flanges it will be seen that this elastic tube is caused to cover these openings entirely when the tube is in place. This is done without the necessity of any special care in assembling or the addition of a single item of expense. Consequently these holes are effectively sealed and there is no opportunity for the liquid from the bottle to get into them and cause the difficulties which have been mentioned above. This is all the more effective'for this purpose for the reason that the rubber tube is always formed of such a size that it will grip the body of the stopper, and consequently its inner surface tends to projectinto these openings and not only eectively seal them in that way, but adds still further to the difliculty of turning the tube on the stopper. This advantage is particularly valuable after the rubber tube deteriorates upon continued usage because it is found then that the tube still remains in the same place and effectively seals these openings as long as the tube has any elasticity or life left. rI'hus the difliculty that would be due to the collection of liquid in the interior of the stopper is entirely avoided as long as the tube is serviceable at all. Moreover if anyA foreign substance should get into the cavity before the tube is put on, or at any other time, the tube effectively prevents its coming into Contact with the liquid in the bottle. rIhis is important because one of these Stoppers may be used for a number of bottles in turn, being put away when not in use.

Although I have illustrated and described only a single embodiment of the invention I am aware of the fact that modifications can be made therein by any person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims. Therefore I do not wish to be limited to all the details of construction herein shown and described, nor to the particular shape of the parts, but

What I do claim is l. As an article of manufacture, a bottle stopper formed of cast metal and having a smooth conical body provided with a solid smaller end provided with an integral flange projecting beyond the surface of the body and having a parallel integral wider flange at the .other end, said body having openings through the surface thereof to the interior located oppositely between the flanges, a flat handle extending from the second flange, and a rubber tube on said body between the flanges for covering and protecting said openings, the larger flange projecting beyond the surface of said tube and the tube projecting beyond the'edge of the smaller flange.

2. As an article of manufacture, a bottle stopper formed of cast metal and having a conical body provided with a solid smaller end provided with a flange projecting beyond the surface of the body and having a flange at the other end, said body being hollow, and having longitudinal openings through the surface thereof to the interior located oppositelv, a flat handle extending from the second flange in the plane in which said openings are located, and a rubber tube on said body between the flanges for covering and protecting said openings.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two subscrib ing witnesses.

ALBERT E. FAY,

FoREsT Wesson.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

